Book-holder



J. L. CLARK.

BOOK HOLDER.

(No Model.)

' Patented May 3, 1887.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEQ JOHN L. CLARK, OF BANGOR, MAINE.

BOOK-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,060, dated May 3, 1887.

Application filed March 17, 1887. Serial No. 231,265.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN L. CLARK, of Bangor, in the county of Penobscot, State of Maine, have invented a certain new and useful I1uprovement in Book-Holders, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a front side elevation of myimproved book-holder; Fig. 2, a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3, a vertical transverse section taken on the dotted line on m in Figs. 1 and 2, as viewed from the left in said last-named figures; and Fig. 4,an end elevation representing the holder in use as viewed from the left in Fig. 1.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

My invention relates more especially to that class of book-holders which are employed by musicians and others for holding music-books in an open position when in use on the rack of a piano-forte, organ,or other similar instrument; and it consists in a novel construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, the object being to produce a simpler, cheaper, and more effective device of this character than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation:

In the drawings, A represents the body of the holder, and B the clamp. Projecting downwardly from either end of the body A there is a foot-piece, C, the base z of which stands at a right angle to the body, and is of suflicient length to properly support the holder. The foot-pieces are curved outwardly on their front edges, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and projecting laterally and inwardly from each footpiece there is a flange, m, the edge of which is cam-shaped, as best seen in Fig.2, said flanges corresponding in size and the contour of their cams.

The clamp B is preferably composed of a single piece of elastic wire, which is bent down- (No model.)

wardly at a pointabout one-third of itslength from either end to form the arms t, and outwardly at either end to form thejournals f, said journals being respectively inserted in holes 1', formed in the foot-pieces 0. Projecting horizontally from the body A, at the top of each foot-piece, there is a rest, i, on which the book is supported, the body, foot'pieces, camflanges, and rests being preferably integral or cast in one piece. The central portion of the clamp is bent outward to form the pull 1), to enable the clamp to be readily raised to insert or remove the book, or whenever it is required to turn the leaves. The cams are evolute in form, the apex or greatest projection in each being at o, from which point to the outer end of the cam Z there is a short sharp curve, the curve from 'u to the inner end, 3 being longer and not so acute.

The clamp B is secured to the body A by springing its arms t inwardly or toward each other, and inserting the journalsfin the holes a, the spring of the clamp acting expansively to force the arms outward and keep them in constant contact with the cam-flanges m.

In the use of my improvement the holder is placed on the music-rack, or in any other desired position 011 the piano or other instrument with which it is to be used, being supported on the foot-pieces C. It is then opened to receive the book by drawing forward the clamp B by the pull b until the arms 15 pass the apices v of the cams and reach the outer ends of the same at Z, after which the book is inserted, the clamp raised and pushed back until the arms t pass the points '0, when the expansive action of the clamp against the cam-flanges will cause said arms to slide down the long inclines or curves from o to y, and the body of the clamp to be pressed against the leaves of the book, thereby holding itin proper position and keeping it open in a manner which will be readily obvious without a more explicit description.

It will be understood that in opening the holder to receive the book considerable force has to be applied to the clamp to pull it away from the body A, against which it is pressed by the spring of the arms t acting on the long curved faces of the cams from o to 3 but that when the arms have passed the points 1) the body of the clamp will be forced outward instead of inward until the arms reach the points Z, in which position the clamp will be locked or held stationary until the book is inserted,

7 an open book being represented by the dotted lines 70 in Fig. 1 and by 70 in Fig. 4:.

I do not confine myself to constructing all parts of either the body Aor clamp Bintegral, or to using the hold er in connection with musical instruments solely, as when the foot-pieces G are made of suitable size it is well adapted for use on a library-table and in various other positions. It may also be employed to good advantage as a music-holder; neither do I confine myself to providing the holder with rests i, or to journaling the clamp in the foot-pieces O, as they may be journaled in any suitable position and said rests omitted; nor to using two cam-flanges, m, as one may be dispensed with, if desired.

7 Having thus explained my invention,\vhatl claim is- 1; In a book-holder of the character described, the combination of the following in- 'strumentalities, to wit: a body, foot-pieces for said body, a spring-clan1p journaled in said foot pieces or portions of said body, and afixed 25 cam or cams acting in conjunction with said clamp to force the clamp against the leaves of the book when the holderis closed, substantially as described.

2. In a book-holder of the character de- 30 scribed, the body A, spring-clamp B, footpieces 0, and cams or cam-flanges m, all constructed, combined, and arranged substantially as set forth.

3. In a book-holder of the character de- 35 scribed, the body A, spring-clamp 13, footpieces 0, cam-flanges m, and rests i, all constructed, combined, and arranged substantially as shown and described.

JOHN L. CLARK.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. CLARK, NELLIE L. CLARK. 

